Alp-Tegin | |
|---|---|
| Persian:الپتگین | |
 Bust of Alp Tegin as one of the founders of the "16 Great Turkic Empires", part of the "Turkishness Monument" (Türklük Anıtı) inPınarbaşı, Kayseri (opened 2000, 2012 photograph). | |
| Governor ofGhazna | |
| In office 962 – September 963 | |
| Monarch | Mansur I |
| Succeeded by | Abu Ishaq Ibrahim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 910 |
| Died | September 963 Ghazna |
Alp-Tegin, (Persian:الپتگینAlptegīn orAlptigīn[1]) orAlptekin, was aTurkic slave commander of theSamanid Empire, who would later become the semi-independentgovernor ofGhazna from 962 until his death in 963.
Before becoming governor of Ghazni, Alp-Tegin was the commander-in-chief (sipahsalar) of the Samanid army inKhorasan. In a political fallout over succession of the Samanids he crossed theHindu Kush mountains southward and captured Ghazna, located strategically betweenKabul andKandahar in present-dayAfghanistan, and thereby establishing his own principality, which, however, was still under Samanid authority.[2] He was succeeded by his son,Abu Ishaq Ibrahim.
Alp-Tegin was originally part of the nomadic Turks that roamed theCentral Asiansteppes, but was later captured and brought via theSamanid slave trade as a slave to the Samanid capital ofBukhara, where he was raised in the Samanid court.[3][4] Despite being ofTurkic stock and allegedly in speech, Alp-Tegin was highlyPersianized.[5]
During the reign ofNuh I (r. 943–954), Alp-Tegin was appointed as the head of the royal guard (hajib al-hujjab).[3] During the reign of Nuh's son and successorAbd al-Malik I (r. 954–961), Alp-Tegin was appointed as the governor ofBalkh, and by 961 he was the commander-in-chief (sipahsalar) of the Samanid army inKhorasan, thus succeedingAbu Mansur Muhammad. On 10 February 961, Alp-Tegin arrived toNishapur with his vizier Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn al-Shibli. Alp-Tegin also played a major role in the appointment ofMuhammad Bal'ami asvizier,[3] whom he became close allies with.
Abd al-Malik I died a few months later (November). Alp-Tegin and Bal'ami sought to use his death as an opportunity to make the deceased ruler's young son Nasr the new ruler, in order to rule on his behalf.[3]
However, several powerful figures of the Samanid state, such asFa'iq Khassa, favored Abd al-Malik's brotherMansur I, and managed to make him the new ruler.[6] Bal'ami then quickly went over to Fa'iq's side, leaving Alp-Tegin isolated. Mansur I upon his accession had Alp-Tegin dismissed from the governorship of Khorasan.
Alp-Tegin then took his personal guard of Turkic slave-soldiers and group of Iranianghazis to Balkh, where he in April 962 defeated an army sent by Mansur I.[3] He then left for Ghazna, a small town inZabulistan ruled by the localLawik dynasty,[7] defeating the forces of the local rulers ofBamiyan andKabul along the way.He seized Ghazna fromAbu Bakr Lawik, a kinsman of theKabulshah, and secured his position by receiving an investiture from the Samanids as the governor of Ghazna.
Alp-Tegin died a few months later (September 963) and was succeeded by his sonAbu Ishaq Ibrahim.[3]Sabuktigin, a slave who was bought by Alp-Tegin and had accompanied him to Ghazna, was appointed as the ruler of Ghazna by the Turks of the town in 977, marking the start of theGhaznavid dynasty, which would go on to conquer all ofTransoxiana andKhurasan.[2][7]
| New title | Governor ofGhazna 962–963 | Succeeded by |